For caravan owners with a garage or driveway,
the first thought will be to keep it at home.
Whilst the greater shelter and security of a
garage are obviously major considerations, you
must also take into account the height and length
of your new mobile home. Coachbuilt models are
upwards of 2.7m in height, while fixed roofs
extend to around 2m. Micro caravans range from
1.8m to 2m in height. The length can be a particular
problem when looking at home storage, with many
caravans stretching over 7m. Take all the dimensions
of your garage with you when looking at purchasing
a caravan.

If you have a garage or a drive you may want
to consider
keeping your touring vehicle at home. Keeping
your
vehicle in the garage is obviously the preferable
option
because of the greater security and shelter.
Height and
length are deciding factors with this option,
especially if
you have a motor caravan.

Keeping your touring vehicle on your drive
may seem like
the perfect option because there are no obvious
height
problems, but it’s worth checking your
local bylaws
because there may be restrictions. It is also
more difficult
to secure your vehicle if it is parked on a
driveway.

Storing your caravan or motor caravan at home
may
be convenient and cost effective, but many
vehicles
are stolen from domestic locations, it’s
worth applying
as many of the above precautions to domestic
storage
as possible.

You
may find you’re better off considering
other storage options, such as keeping the caravan
near the site you intend to visit regularly.
There are literally thousands of storage facilities
for caravans across the country, including some
close to ferry ports – so you needn’t
worry if your favourite camp site is on the continent!

Maybe
you have a favourite site that you go to again
and again, so you might want to consider storing
your
caravan or motor caravan on site or nearby.

If
you’d rather have your touring vehicle
closer to home
so you can tour anywhere straight from your door,
then
search for a site nearby. You shouldn’t
have to look very
far, there are lots of storage sites all over
the country.

Storing your caravan during the winter can be
fraught with problems; it is hardly an option
to head down to the dealership every year to
buy a new one and hence maintaining your caravan
is essential. One way to keep your fridge in
good condition is to keep the packets of silica
gel that come with new shoes. By placing these
in the fridge when it is not in use, smells and
mould will be kept to a minimum. Not only will
this prolong the life of your fridge but also
make cleaning your caravan easier. An addition
to this is to ensure all of the water in your
caravan is drained over the winter, the damage
caused by frost and freezing can be catastrophic.

Flies are a constant gripe of the caravanner;
it is often the case that after a long journey
the
front window of your caravan is covered with
dead flies. Many will endure the constant
scraping and
cleaning every time you head out on a journey
but there is an easier way. By fixing cling
film over
the front window all you will have to do on arrival
is to remove the cling film and hey presto, the
window will be clean. Another cleaning tip is
for those who want to remove the dealership
stickers,
rather than scrubbing with water, applying a
small amount of petrol or lighter fluid the
stickers
will make the stickers come off easily.